600,000 illegal abortions are performed in Iran annually.

Illegal abortions in Iran occur at a rate of 2,000 per day, accounting for about one-third of all births in the country. Involuntary abortions are dozens of times more common than medical abortions. At the same time, the birth rate is constantly declining, and forced childbearing has not made any headway.

Kobra Khazali, head of the Women's Social Council in Iran, has reported on the high rate of abortions in Iran.

On August 15, Tasnim News Agency quoted Khazali as saying: "We have uncounted and uncontrolled abortions; according to the announcement of the deputy and deputy minister of health, 600,000 unauthorized abortions are performed in the country annually, which means two thousand abortions per day."

He criticized that there is no oversight in this regard and that "there are influential figures in the middle management of the Ministry of Health who prevent the implementation of population directives and, on the other hand, overshadow the actions of the staff of this organization."

Kobra Khazali also criticized the screening program during pregnancy, saying: "In the last decade, screening of pregnant mothers has become surprisingly widespread in the country. This is while there has been no change in the statistics of the country's disabled people; in this regard, doctors who do not recommend abortion are pressured and are subsequently taken to court."

According to him, these doctors "must either perform abortions or refer mothers to other departments to follow up on the abortion process, leading to a therapeutic abortion, otherwise the doctor will be punished by paying all the costs of the child."

Kobra Khazali refers to the fertility increase program that the Leader of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly emphasized and ordered for its implementation for several years now. However, the government does not have the resources to provide such a program, nor are there job and welfare facilities available for it, and the younger generation is not interested in it.

According to the head of the Women's Social Council, "In the Sixth Development Plan, our fertility rate was supposed to reach 2.5 children, but at present this indicator is facing a decline and is close to 1.7 children. This means that since the beginning of the Sixth Plan, our fertility rate has decreased." In other words, the orders and policies to reduce the population remain in place, "with the difference that their names have changed, such as desirable social distancing and maternal and child health."

"Spontaneous" abortions are dozens of times more common than medical abortions. 

Khalil Ali Mohammadzadeh, who was named "National Population Award winner" by the Tasnim newspaper, has cited several factors for the decline in fertility rates in Iran, including "urbanization, generation-limiting policies, economic difficulties, lack of attention to the various needs of young people in matters of marriage and family formation, and most importantly, significant changes in cultural perspectives and lifestyles."

Mohammadzadeh has said that Iran is among the top three countries in the world that are rapidly moving towards an aging population, and if no solution is found in the next two decades, a record will be set for Iran in this regard that no country will be able to easily break; only with a higher birth rate can the percentage of aging in society be reduced.

According to the doctor, abortions in Iran are so common that they “must be addressed as a fundamental problem.” He also referred to self-inflicted abortions, saying that their number is “tens of times greater than medical abortions.” He accused women who have “elective” abortions of “disregarding human, religious, legal, and even health issues, committing “self-murder” through non-physicians and unauthorized centers. They themselves and their handlers commit a forbidden act based on religious authorities’ fatwas.”

He said that "spontaneous abortions occur outside of custom, law, and religious standards, and unfortunately, this type of abortion is dozens of times more prevalent in society than medical abortions, and no preventive supervision is carried out by the relevant agencies."

Five percent death, 20 percent disability

The issue of abortion is a major problem for women in many non-democratic countries, especially those whose governments are imbued with religious tendencies. A woman's right to her own body and to become a mother or not is completely ignored and decisions about this are left to the legislator. This is not limited to countries like Iran. In some European countries, including Poland, abortion laws are also very difficult for women. Donald Trump and the Republicans in the United States, like many conservative leaders, are staunch opponents of abortion.

In countries where this right is denied to women, women are forced to go to centers where abortions are performed “illegally” and do not necessarily meet the best health standards. Centers where the health and life of the woman are severely endangered.

On August 24, “Economy 24” quoted Mohammad Baqer Larijani, the deputy education minister of the health minister, as saying that according to the latest statistics in 2017, between 300,000 and 500,000 illegal abortions are performed in Iran annually. This means that according to official statistics from the Ministry of Health, every day, 1,000 fetuses are killed by parents, only about 10 of which are legal.

According to the report, this type of abortion causes death in 5% of mothers, disability in 20% of mothers, and in some cases, complete removal of the uterus.

Miscarriage rates higher than car accidents

The number of traffic accidents and road fatalities in Iran is very high. However, Iranian media have reported that about 800,000 traffic accidents occur in Iran annually, resulting in the deaths of 43 people daily. 18,000 deaths in road accidents per year also statistically place Iran among the countries with the highest road fatalities in the world. However, statistics from the Ministry of Health show that in Iran, “20 times more abortions occur annually than deaths from traffic accidents.”

Economy 24 called this "a human disaster" and wrote, "Study data indicate that under current circumstances, the abortion rate is equivalent to about one-third of the 1 million 196 thousand births in the entire country."

Source: DW